JEDDAH, 25 October 2005 — World leaders will meet to tackle the tough issues facing the Muslim world in a two-day summit beginning in Makkah on Dec. 7.
The Extraordinary Islamic Summit, being held under the mantle of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, offers Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah his first opportunity after ascending the throne to address the leaders of the 57 Muslim countries. The summit follows a September meeting in Makkah where many of the world’s leading Muslim scholars and intellectuals helped formulate a new vision for the OIC and to set the agenda for the prestigious summit.
Among their recommendations for discussion were Islamic solidarity and joint Islamic action, creation of a poverty fund, institutionalization of Islamic good governance, conflict prevention and confidence-building, terrorism, dialogue and civilization, Islamophobia, political and human rights of Muslim minorities in non-OIC countries. The scholars and intellectuals had also called for the restructuring of the OIC.
The reinvigorated organization hopes to give the Muslim world a chance to speak in a powerful, unified voice and have the best minds come up with the best resolutions to difficult challenges, from Iraq and Palestine to economic and educational issues.
King Abdullah extended an invitation during last year’s Haj to convene a summit, the purpose being to review the current state of the Ummah and to explore new horizons for the evolution of a vision that would enable the Muslim world to face up to the challenges of the present day and of tomorrow.
With the clout of its members behind it, the OIC can play a leading role not only in defusing volatile issues, such as terrorism and Iraq, but in ensuring that Muslim positions on global issues get a fair hearing, as well.
“We at OIC are trying hard to represent moderation, to represent the real values of Islam, which is peaceful coexistence, and which has been so throughout the history of Islam,” OIC Secretary-General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told PBS in a recent interview. “It’s enshrined in the holy books of Islam that you accept the other; you respect the other, particularly the other Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Christianity. This is part of the Islamic doctrine, as it has been all throughout, and this has been the practice of Muslims for centuries under different nations.”
Professor Ihsanoglu said the OIC will seek resolutions to problems that don’t create more ills than the ones they sought to cure.
“There was tyranny, but no terrorists,” Professor Ihsanoglu said of Iraq under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. “Now, Iraq has become the focus of terrorists, and this movement was not there during the previous regime. In a way, this unhealthy development will breed more terrorists if we don’t proceed in a rational way to address these matters.”
Based in Jeddah, the OIC is the world’s largest Islamic organization. Founded in 1969, it now represents 57 Muslim nations. Its mandate is to increase political, economic and social cooperation among Muslim nations. It also fights religious extremism and promotes understanding between the West and the Islamic world.
OIC spokesperson Atta Al-Mannan Bakheet told the Saudi Press Agency yesterday that the summit will be preceded by a preparatory meeting of OIC foreign ministers on Dec. 6.
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LAHORE, Oct 24: The first “red book” of the country containing the record of most wanted human smugglers and terrorists will be completed by the end of this year, it is learnt.
Official sources told Dawn on Monday that the Federal Investigation Agency’s special investigation group (SIG) had been assigned the task. The SIG has primarily been established to fight terrorism.
They said the SIG would launch an operation against them after maintaining the record. The agency’s anti-trafficking unit, the passport cell and the immigration wing would assist it in nabbing top human smugglers.
The sources said at present all provinces had maintained a record of the most wanted terrorists which was yet to be centralized.
They said the agency was gathering information about the top human smugglers from the deported persons especially from Oman, Iran, Turkey, Italy and the US. It is learnt that the governments of Oman, Turkey and Iran have asked Pakistan to take strict measures to control human smuggling.
According to some reports, about 30,000 Pakistanis have been deported from Oman on different charges since 2001. Besides, over 1,000 Pakistanis are languishing in different prisons of Muscat awaiting trials for an illegal entry into the country.
Several Pakistanis belonging to poor families have reportedly lost their lives while attempting to reach Oman to earn better livelihood. Similarly, scores of Pakistanis continue to cross the Iran border every week in a bid to reach Turkey, Greece or Italy.
The sources said most of the human smugglers in Punjab were operating in Gujrat, Wazirabad, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujranwala, Malikwal, Faisalabad and adjacent areas.
They said the interior ministry was contemplating to award a handsome amount to the people who would provide information leading to the arrest of the most wanted human smugglers on the pattern of head money on terrorists.
To maintain the record of the most wanted terrorists, the SIG would collaborate with the central investigation department and other law enforcement agencies.
A senior officer told this reporter that the SIG had been strengthened in this regard. A technical wing was being established with a staff of 50 besides recruiting more staff in the intelligence wing and transport facilities.
SNIP:HONOLULU, Hawaii (Reuters) - A former design engineer has been arrested on charges of espionage for selling top-secret information related to the B-2 stealth bomber, the FBI said on Thursday.
Noshir Gowadia, 61, was arrested in Maui, Hawaii on Wednesday. The FBI said he had given information to three foreign countries about the bomber. The countries were not immediately named.
ANAMA will have to check for explosives
SNIP:ANAMA approximates that about 100 missiles exploded simultaneously due to careless handling of a worker. As the result, the shop placed only 200 meters away from domiciles was destroyed completely.
Monitoring and security storage sheds for high explosives still spotty
SNIP:The quality of monitoring and securing storage sheds for high explosives and weapons vary significantly nationwide, leaving loopholes that can be exploited by thieves like those who raided a Crystal Springs Reservoir bunker last summer, according to a new report.
Suspect bombers may be breath-tested
SNIP:Terrorist bomb makers beware -- New Jersey scientists have developed a breath tester that might lead to your arrest.
The portable tester -- called Heartsbreath -- can detect traces of chemicals found in explosives when they are exhaled by people who have handled the bombs.